Automatic shuttle change on looms



1960 M. E. VAN DE WIELE 2,962,055

AUTOMATIC SHUTTLE CHANGE 0N LOOMS Filed June 8, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig-.3. I 5 4 4.4

Nov. 29, 1960 M. E. VAN- DE WIELEI 2,962,055

AUTOMATIC SHUTTLE CHANGE 0N LOOMS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 8, 1959 Nov. 29, 1960 M. E. VAN DE WIELE 2,962,055

AUTOMATIC SHUTTLE CHANGE 0N LOQMS Filed June 8, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 2,962,055 I Patented Nov. 29, 1960 AUTOMATIC SHUTTLE CHANGE N LOOMS Michel Emile Van de Wiele, Rue de la Station, Marke-lez-Courtrai, Belgium Filed June 8, 1959, Ser. No. 818,600

Claims priority, application Belgium Nov. 27, 1958 3 Claims. (Cl. 139-237) My present invention relates to looms and in particular to devices for automatic shuttle changes on looms.

It is a feature of the invention that shuttle changes are made without the stopping or slowing of the loom.

According to the present invention, a device for automatic shuttle changing in a loom is provided in which there co-operates with a shuttle magazine containing a reserve of filled shuttles a member comprising an upper component having a section substantially corresponding to that of the shuttle passage and situated normally in line therewith and a lower component in the form of a passage adapted to be placed in communication with a container for empty or nearly empty shuttles, means being provided whereby, substantially at the dead center position of the loom, the said member may be raised so that the upper component receives a full shuttle whereas the lower component receives the empty or nearly empty shuttle and guides it into the container for empty or nearly empty shuttles.

According to a further feature of the invention the shuttle magazine is carried by the frame of the loom at one side thereof.

According to a still further feature of the invention the raising of the member co-operating with the full shuttle magazine is effected when the shuttle is nearly empty and by the action of the bobbin itself.

According to yet another feature of the invention there is provided, under the member co-operating with the magazine for full shuttles, a bar or the like member which participlates in the movement of the sley and which carries a head or another member which, after the raising of the member co-operates with mechanical members for controlling the push members producing the fall of the full shuttle, these push members being controlled by the sley when it arrives at its dead center position.

' The present invention will be further described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: a

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a shuttle provided with an electrical shuttle change initiation means.

Fig. 2 is a detailed view.

Fig. 3 shows the electric wiring diagram of the shuttle change initiation means,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a mechanical transmission between the electric means and the member co-operating with the full shuttle magazine.

Fig. 5 is a schematic view showing the operation of the member co-operating with the full shuttle magazine.

Figs. 6 and 7 show the mechanical pressing device controlling the displacement of a full shuttle.

Fig. 8 is a schematic view showing the operating principle of the loom constructed according to the present invention.

In Figs. 1-3, there is shown a shuttle 1, the bobbin or cop 2 being located within the shuttle.

Head to tail on one lateral face of the shuttle but having a space between them are two contact plates 3 and 4, the plates 3 and 4 being separated from each other. As shown in Fig. 2 the underside of the shuttle is provided with a member 5 which can pivot at 6 and which has an electrical connection 7 to the plate 3, and which has a hook 8 displaceable in a slot 9 of the shuttle. I

The bobbin 2 supports the member 5, which is usually in the form of a blade, in such manner that the member 5 is generally braced in lowered position (shown in solid line in Fig. 2) but which, as the bobbin empties, is permitted to raise (chain line position, Fig. 2).

When the bobbin is almost empty, that is, when the weft has been almost entirely stripped therefrom, the member 5 comes into contact with a lamina 10 which has an electrical connection 11 to the plate 4.

Disposed so that they may engage with one or other of plates 3 and 4 are two contacts 12 and 13 or other feeler members which are connected by conductors 14 and 15 with the secondary winding 16 of a transformer 17, the primary winding 18 of which is connected to the feeding circuit 19, generally the main supply. Concluctors 20 also connected to the feeding circuit 19 may feed current to an electromagnet 21 controlling the shuttle change.

The circuit 14, 15 is provided with a relay 22, the armature of which is connected to a contact plate 23 of the circuit 20.

As shown in Fig. 4, pivoted to the core 24 of the electromagnet there is a short connecting rod 25 connect-' ed to a shaft 26 which is provided with a sleeve 27 carrying a fork 28. The prongs of the fork 28 are connected to a sleeve 29 mounted on a driven shaft 30 an eccentric 31 being also connected to the sleeve 29 in such manner that the unit 29, 31 can slide on the shaft 30 while participating in the rotation thereof. i

As it slides on shaft 30, the eccentric 31 can be urged under a roller 32 carried by a lever 33 which is pivotable about a spindle 34 supported by beam 35 of the frame. This lever 33 is connected by a bar 36 having bifurcated ends, to a lever 37 capable of pivoting about a spindle 38 carried by beam 39 of. the frame.

The lever 37 has a sleeve 40 at the end thereof to which a rod 41 is connected, the, rod 41 being vertical and terminating in a fork 42, the prongs of which are provided with sleeves 43 through which a rod 44 passes. The ends of the rod 44 are provided with rigid sections 45 passing through beam 46 of the frame and serving to support a member 47. v I 1 The member 47 is constructed in a particular manner in that it comprises an upper portion 48 having a shape the same as that of the shuttle passage 49 but which is: independent thereof, and to which is soldered acurved member 50 in the form of a channel connectable to the emptied shuttles magazine 51.

As shown more clearly in Fig. 6, above the member 47 there is a magazine 52 for the full shuttles in the form of an arc of a circle and carried by a member 53 of the frame.

This magazine 52 carried by the frame of the loom is disposed for example on the left hand side of the loom while on the right hand side there is an ordinary box designated by reference in Fig. 8.

Under the member 47 and transversely thereto is a bar 54 which participates in the movement of the sley and terminates in a hook 55 provided with a head 56.

The bar 54 may be raised with the unit 41-45-47 until its head 56 is brought opposite a block 57 carried by a rod 58, which in turn is connected to a cross piece 59 of a frame 60 capable of swinging about fixed spindle 61. The upper cross piece 62 of the frame 60 is mounted in slots 63 formed in bars 64 connected together by a sleeve 65 which forms part of a shaft 66 held in the two fixed supports 67.

Keyed to the shaft 66 are two levers 68 carrying arms 69 directed towards the magazine 52 and terminated by push members 70.

As shown in Fig. 7, a collapsible finger 71 is provided on the side of the magazine 52. On the shaft 66 there is keyed a lever 72, the other end of which is connected by a rod 73 to a lever 74 pivoting on the magazine 52 at 75. At the other end of the lever 74 there is connected a lever 76 which pivots at 77 and which terminates in a cam 78 co-operating with the collapsible finger 71.

The operation of the invention is as follows:

When the bobbin 2 is nearly empty, the member which has risen progressively with the emptying of the bobbin comesinto contact with the lamina 1t} and as explained, the plates 3 and 4 are conductively connected together in such manner that when the plates 3 and 4 come into contact with the contacts 12 and 13 respectively, the. relay 22 is excited and current is fed to the elegtrp rnagnet 21.

With the electromagnet thus energized the core 24 is attracted and the shaft 26 receives a swinging movement in which participates the fork 28 and the eccentric 31 which is brought under the roller 32. Thereupon the lever 33 is pivoted about the spindle 34 and, moves by means of the bar 36 the lever 37 which also pivots and raises the fork 42 and the member 47 in such manner that the curved-channel 50 is brought in line with the shuttle passage 49. The empty or nearly empty shuttle on reaching the channel 50 is thus deflected towards the magazine 51.

When the shuttle enters the magazine 51, it establishes in known manner a closed circuit which energizes an electromagnet which raises the blades of a buffer in a manner similar to that in a non-automatic loom.

In its rising movement, the member 47 lifts the bar 54 which, as already stated, participates in the movement of the sley of the machine in such manner that at the front dead center position of the sley the head 56 abuts the block 57 and causes the pivoting of the frame 60 about the axis 61; as it pivots this frame drives the levers 68-69 bringing the blocks 70 near the first full shuttle, which blocks, whilst acting on the first full shuttle, cause it to drop into the channel member 48 which resumes its position in line with the channel 49 due to the continued rotation of the eccentric 31 which causes the entire system of moving boxes to descend.

The descent of the system of boxes actuates an interrupter switch, not shown, at the end of the course and the eccentric 31 resumes its disengaged position relative to the lever 33.

All of the electric connections are broken by the 'end of the course and all the members resume the position that they previously occupied.

While the full shuttle is falling, the following shuttle 4 is retained by the collapsible finger 71 which, under the action of the cam 78, has been brought into the path of this shuttle.

This finger is returned to the condition shown in Fig. 7, when the assembled device resumes its inoperative position.

The full shuttle then falls naturally, while being controlled in its fall, however, by the two push members actuated by the sley arriving at its dead center position.

What I claim is:

1. In a loom, an automatic changing device comprising a shuttle magazine, a reserve of filled shuttles in said magazine, a container for empty shuttles, means defining a shuttle passage for loom operation, a member comprising an upper component having a section substantially corresponding to that of the shuttle passage and situated normally in line therewith adjacent said magazine and a lower component defining a passage adapted to be placed in line with the shuttle passage and in communication with the container for empty shuttles, means whereby the said member is adapted to be raised when the shuttle is nearly empty whereby the upper component receives a full shuttle from said magazine whereas the lower component receives the empty shuttle, and an electric circuit to initiate the raising of said member, each shuttle including two spaced contact plates in said circuit and a movable member adapted to connect said contact plates, said movable member being displaceable by a full bobbin in the associated shuttle to disconnect said plates and thereby open said circuit, said movable member connecting said plates as the bobbin empties to connect said plates and close said circuit to initiate the raising of the first said member.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said circuit includes an electromagnet, said device comprising a mechanical transmission operatively coupled to the electromagnet and to the first said member to operate the latter.

3. A device according to claim 2 in which the mechanical transmission comprises a rotatable eccentric operatively coupled to said electromagnet and displaceable thereby, a roller adapted to selectively engage said eccentric, and a rod supporting said roller and operatively coupled to thefirst said member to raise and lower the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,979,766 Payne Nov. 6, 1934 2,103,800 Turner Dec. 28, 1937 2,792,026 Butin May 14, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 123,250 Germany "Sept. 20, 1901 240,783 Great Britain Mar. 11, 1926 511,781 Great Britain Aug. 24, 1939 

